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6 September 2024
Medical Device Company to Pay $700,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Inflated Reimbursements from Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
Medical device manufacturer THD America Inc., located in Natick, Massachusetts, and its corporate parent, THD SpA of Italy (collectively, THD), have agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that THD violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing physicians to use incorrect codes to obtain inflated reimbursement from Medicare and State Medicaid programs for the use of THD’s hemorrhoid removal system called the Slide One Kit (the Kit).
The Kit was sold to physicians for use in transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, a surgical procedure that involves cauterizing certain blood vessels. The United States alleged that, between 2014 and 2017, physicians performing procedures using the Kit were required to bill for the procedure using a temporary code, also known as a “T-Code,” assigned for new and emerging services. Because a procedure that is assigned such a code is considered experimental, reimbursement for the use of the Kit was often denied. To avoid such denials and increase potential reimbursement, THD allegedly encouraged colorectal and general surgeons improperly to bill Medicare and Medicaid programs using the T-Code plus an additional Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code or to bill for CPT codes other than the T-code.
The federal share of the civil settlement is $598,121.23, and the state Medicaid share of the civil settlement is $101,877.77. State Medicaid programs are jointly funded by the federal and state governments.
“The integrity of federal healthcare programs depends upon compliance with coding and billing rules that are used to make coverage and reimbursement decisions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable health care providers that knowingly submit false claims to federal health care programs that do not accurately reflect and bill for the work they perform.”
“This case is emblematic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to pursuing and holding accountable those who seek to defraud federal health care programs and to recouping taxpayer dollars obtained falsely,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “We will continue our efforts tirelessly in prioritizing rooting out fraud and protecting the public fisc.”
“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees is required of all health care companies,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of companies violating the federal False Claims Act.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Amber Arthur, a former employee of THD America. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator’s share from the proceeds of the settlement will be $115,500. The qui tam action is captioned U.S. ex rel. Arthur v. THD America, et al., No. 16-cv-2571 (DMD).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Counsel Jay D. Majors of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
SettlementMedical Device Company to Pay $700,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Inflated Reimbursements from Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Medical device manufacturer THD America, Inc., located in Natick, Massachusetts, and its corporate parent, THD SpA of Italy (collectively, THD), have agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that THD violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing physicians to use incorrect codes to obtain inflated reimbursement from Medicare and State Medicaid programs for the use of THD’s hemorrhoid removal system called the Slide One Kit (the Kit).
The Kit was sold to physicians for use in transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, a surgical procedure that involves cauterizing certain blood vessels. The United States alleged that, between 2014 and 2017, physicians performing procedures using the Kit were required to bill for the procedure using a temporary code, also known as a “T-Code,” assigned for new and emerging services. Because a procedure that is assigned such a code is considered experimental, reimbursement for the use of the Kit was often denied. To avoid such denials, and increase potential reimbursement, THD allegedly encouraged colorectal and general surgeons improperly to bill Medicare and Medicaid programs using the T-Code plus an additional CPT code or to bill for CPT codes other than the T-code.
The federal share of the civil settlement is $598,121.23, and the state Medicaid share of the civil settlement is $101,877.77. State Medicaid programs are jointly funded by the federal and state governments.
“This case is emblematic of the United States Attorney’s Office’s commitment to pursuing and holding accountable those who seek to defraud federal health care programs and to recouping taxpayer dollars obtained falsely,” said Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We will continue our efforts tirelessly in prioritizing rooting out fraud and protecting the public fisc.”
“The integrity of federal healthcare programs depends upon compliance with coding and billing rules that are used to make coverage and reimbursement decisions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable health care providers that knowingly submit false claims to federal health care programs that do not accurately reflect and bill for the work they perform.”
“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees is required of all health care companies,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “DHHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, to investigate allegations of companies violating the federal False Claims Act.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Amber Arthur, a former employee of THD America. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator’s share from the proceeds of the settlement will be $115,500. The qui tam action is captioned U.S. ex rel. Arthur v. THD America, et al., No. 16-cv-2571 (D. Md.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DHHS-OIG for its work in this investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tarra DeShields and Senior Trial Counsel Jay D. Majors of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice who handled the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeremy David Crawley, age 46 of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Drug Conspiracy.
The Indictment alleged that between 2019 and January 2023, the defendant conspired to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, at least 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the McAlester Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Crawley was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Marketer of Durable Medical Equipment Admits Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Miami Beach, Florida, man admitted his role in a durable medical equipment health care fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Christopher Vehovec, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on Aug. 28, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Vehovec and his conspirators solicited and received kickbacks and bribes in exchange for providing durable medical equipment (DME) companies with completed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME, such as orthotic braces. Vehovec and his conspirators utilized the service of telemedicine companies to obtain these prescriptions for DME, and the DME orders were subsequently fraudulently billed to Medicare and other health care benefit programs.
Vehovec and his conspirators caused losses to Medicare and other health care benefit programs of at least $4.2 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
vehovec.information.pdfLocal man sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing mail carrier at gunpointRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Marvin Brown, Jr., 20, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for assaulting a postal carrier and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Brown assaulted a mail carrier in December 2023. He and a co-defendant drove around a Dayton neighborhood on Dec. 18, 2023, looking for a mail carrier to rob. Upon finding a postal worker, Brown approached the victim and brandished a handgun at him, demanding his mail bag. Brown discharged the firearm at least twice into victim’s postal vehicle. Brown and the co-defendant sped away with the mail bag and mail contained within it.
Brown was charged federally in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.
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Leader of Sophisticated Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme SentencedRead the Press Release
Abraham Yusuff, of Round Rock, Texas — the leader of a scheme to defraud the IRS of over $110 million — was sentenced today to more than 14 years in prison. Meghan Inyang, of San Antonio, and Christopher Eduardo, of Round Rock, two of Yusuff’s co-defendants, were also sentenced today to over three years and over two years in prison, respectively. In total, seven individuals have now been sentenced to prison for their involvement in the scheme.
“Yusuff and his codefendants secured $30 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS — and sought even more,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “They stole the identities of honest taxpayers, filed hundreds of returns in those taxpayers’ names seeking bogus refunds and assumed the identities of real-life CPAs and other professionals to trick the IRS into directing the refunds into accounts and debit cards they controlled. The significant sentences handed down by the court reflect not only the injury caused to the Treasury, but also the financial harm and stress the defendants imposed on the innocent taxpayers and accounting professionals swept up in their scheme.”
“Yusuff and co-defendants didn’t just steal money, they stole the lives of hundreds of victims by changing all their contact information with the IRS and posing as authorized representatives for the taxpayers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office. “This insidious and complex scheme victimized both the real tax professionals and the people they represent, which is why IRS-CI special agents help take down criminal enterprises and put criminals behind bars.”
“Stealing someone’s identity is abhorrent and despicable behavior. This week’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder that fraud and the pursuit of quick gains comes with severe consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS-CI Dallas Field Office. “I’m proud of the women and men of IRS-CI for their commitment to protect our tax system and their resolve to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent activities face the full extent of the law.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2018 to 2021, Yusuff led a stolen-identity-refund-fraud scheme with Eduardo and Inyang, as well as Christian Mathurin, of Nashville, Tennessee; Dillon Anozie, of San Antonio; Babajide Ogunbanjo, of Austin, Texas; and Aydin Mammadov, of Houston.
As part of the scheme, and to avoid fraud detection procedures the IRS established, Yusuff recruited and directed Eduardo, Mathurin, Anozie, Ogunbanjo and Mammadov to provide addresses to him for the purpose of receiving mail, including IRS correspondence such as identity verification letters. Yusuff and others then contacted the IRS posing as authorized agents of multiple taxpayers. They used stolen information relating to the taxpayers and their real tax preparers to falsely persuade the IRS they were legitimate representatives. The defendants then directed the IRS to change the addresses on file for the taxpayers and to send their tax information, including account transcripts and wage records, to the addresses and emails the defendants controlled. Communicating over Telegram, Yusuff instructed his defendants to send him photographs of the mail the IRS had sent and then instructed them to destroy the mail.
The defendants used this information to electronically file more than 370 tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds and directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards registered in the names of the victim taxpayers. Prior to issuing tax refunds to some taxpayers, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses the defendants controlled, and the defendants and others, pretending to be the taxpayers, instructed the IRS to release the refunds.
Yusuff, Inyang, Eduardo, Anozie, Ogunbanjo and Mammadov obtained the prepaid debit cards that were to be used to receive the fraudulently claimed refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they further concealed the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from local stores in amounts that were designed to avoid having to furnish identification or trigger reporting requirements. They also used prepaid debit cards and money orders to purchase designer clothing, home renovation materials and used cars at auction. The defendants kept or received money orders purchased with the fraudulent refunds as their share of the illegal proceeds.
At sentencing, the government offered victim impact statements from several individuals whose identities were stolen, including victim taxpayers and accountants. The victims spoke of the financial harm and stress that Yusuff and his co-defendants caused them.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pittman for the Western District of Texas sentenced Yusuff to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution and a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $30,370,365. Eduardo was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,823,377 in restitution to the IRS. Inyang was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $762,512 in restitution to the IRS.
Judge Pittman previously sentenced the other co-defendants to prison:
- Dillon Anozie (30 months)
- Aydin Mammadov (18 months)
- Babajide Ogunbanjo (16 months) and
- Christian Mathurin (12 months).
IRS-CI and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Michael Boteler and Trial Attorneys Mary Frances Richardson and Curtis Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas assisted in this matter.
Lancaster Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lancaster man was sentenced in federal court for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Olin Garneau, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 14 months in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release. Garneau waived indictment and pleaded guilty in February to a one-count information charging him with possession of child pornography.
“Those who distribute CSAM cause compounding harm to children who have already endured unspeakable trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold these offenders accountable for their crimes and provide justice to their survivors.”
“Garneau thought he was talking to another online predator who shared his interest in the sexual abuse of children. Instead, he found an undercover HSI task force officer,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI is proud to work every day with our partners to find the criminals who produce, trade, and possess child sexual abuse material. Above all, our goal is to protect kids.”
Garneau corresponded with an undercover law enforcement officer through an online chat platform. During the chats, Garneau discussed with the officer topics related to the sexual exploitation of children. Garneau also sent the undercover officer an image of CSAM, and a link to approximately 100 additional CSAM files online. More CSAM was located on Garneau’s cell phone following the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation. The Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police and the Lancaster Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in the City of Pawtucket (in Providence County), Rhode Island, for the Sept. 10 primary election.
The Justice Department will assign federal observers to monitor the election in the City of Pawtucket to observe the county’s compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Earlier this year, a federal court approved a consent decree to resolve the department’s claims under Sections 203 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency in the City of Pawtucket. Section 203 requires that certain jurisdictions, including Pawtucket, provide election materials and assistance in other languages, in addition to English. The decree also addresses a claim under Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act. Section 302 requires jurisdictions to provide provisional ballots during federal elections. The consent decree authorizes federal observers to monitor election day activities in the county’s polling places.
The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country. In addition, the department also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, when authorized by federal court order.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in PawtucketRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in the City of Pawtucket for the Sept. 10 primary election.
The Justice Department will assign federal observers to monitor the election in the City of Pawtucket to observe compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Earlier this year, a federal court approved a consent decree to resolve the department’s claims under Sections 203 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency in the City of Pawtucket. Section 203 requires that certain jurisdictions, including Pawtucket, provide election materials and assistance in other languages, in addition to English. The decree also addresses a claim under Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act. Section 302 requires jurisdictions to provide provisional ballots during federal elections. The consent decree authorizes federal observers to monitor election day activities in the county’s polling places.
The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country. In addition, the department also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, when authorized by federal court order.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
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Judge Hands Down Lengthy Sentences for Pair Who Killed Woman in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Moses, 25, of Washington, D.C., and James Mayfield, 25, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced to decades in prison for the murder of Jamahri Sydnor and wounding of three others in a daytime shooting in August 2017 in Northeast D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Moses to 61 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Mayfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Moses and Mayfield were found guilty on December 8, 2022, by a Superior Court jury of one count of conspiracy, one count of first-degree murder while armed (premediated), two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed (one with aggravating circumstances), one count of aggravated assault while armed (with aggravating circumstances), one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Moses was also convicted of two counts of obstructing justice, and because he was on pre-trial release at the time of the offenses, faced additional penalties. Mayfield is charged in a separate multiple-count indictment, including two counts of murder, for a three-day crime spree that occurred December 24-27, 2017. Trial in that case is scheduled to begin January 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 3:30 p.m., on August 10, 2017, Moses and Mayfield, each armed with firearms, approached on foot the busy neighborhood intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues Northeast, where numerous people were outside, in and around area. Both defendants opened fire across Montana Avenue towards the people on Saratoga Avenue, collectively firing over ten rounds. As they fired their weapons indiscriminately, Jamahri Sydnor, the 17-year-old daughter of retired MPD Homicide Detective and Sgt. Que Wallace, who was driving through the intersection with her 12-year-old nephew, was struck in the head by a bullet. After being struck, she lost control of the car, and it crashed into another parked car. Her nephew was injured by the shattering glass caused by the bullet that struck Ms. Sydnor, which traveled through the front passenger window. A third victim was shot as he stood on the corner speaking with friends, and another innocent bystander shattered his leg, after throwing himself from his wheelchair, attempting to take cover from the hail of gunfire.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Robert Cephas and Lesley Slade; former Victim/Witness Security Specialist Wanda M. Queen; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Lashone Samuels, and Grazy Rivera; former Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Lenerz who provided Appellate support, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Judge Gives 40 Year Sentence to Man Who Stabbed to Death and Bragged on Social MediaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Jackson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the June 2021 stabbing death of Damohn Gill, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Jackson to 40 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed, three years in prison for carrying a dangerous weapon, and five years of supervised release.
Jackson was found guilty on May 22, 2024, in D.C. Superior Court, for one count of first-degree murder while armed and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon.
According to the government’s evidence, at 7:50 p.m., on Thursday, June 24, 2021, the victim, Damohn Gill, 27, of Washington, D.C., pulled into the parking lot of the Orchard Park Apartments with his pregnant girlfriend. The defendant, who arrived a minute later, parked his vehicle on the street near the parking lot. After both men got out of their cars and hugged on the sidewalk, they briefly spoke to each other before Jackson pulled out a knife and aggressively approached Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill raised his hands in the air at which point the defendant grabbed the victim by the throat. Mr. Gill pulled away and attempted to run, but Jackson held onto the victim and proceeded to stab him nine times in the back, face, arm, and abdomen. Jackson then fled the scene. A few days after the murder, the defendant posted to Instagram to brag about killing the victim.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner and Marybeth Manfreda, who prosecuted and tried the case. AUSA Peter Roman who investigated the case, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialists April Urbanowski and Lauren Douglas, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Supervisory Security Specialist Lesley Slade, Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Shanika McCullough.
Judge Gives 30 Year Prison Sentence to Man for Killing His Ex’s New Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Walker, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, by Superior Court Judge Robert Okun in the shooting death of Erik King on October 11, 2022, in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Walker was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on May 7, 2024, of second-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as second degree cruelty to children, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Okun ordered Walker to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Walker was living in the living room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. On October 11, 2022, the defendant became upset that his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Erik King, were engaged in sexual relations in the bedroom of the apartment. After sending his ex-girlfriend aggressive text messages for approximately an hour, Walker burst into the locked bedroom door and told the two to stop having sex. When the couple ignored his demands, the defendant shot Mr. King twice in the chest and scrotum area. Mr. King died on scene. A six-year-old child was also present in the bedroom when the shots were fired.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocates Karina Hernandez and Latrice Washington-Williams, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling and IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, former Victim Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegals Lauren Douglas, Mabry Johnson, Stephanie Gilbert, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Shanika McCullough, and Intern Tariq Abdel-Wakil.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case at trial.
Indiana Man Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Indiana man was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison for possessing and creating images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Timothy J. Carpenter, 36, of Portage, came to the attention of law enforcement around July 2022 after he used peer-to-peer software to knowingly receive and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet through his cellular device.
During the investigation, Indiana State Police (ISP) recovered Carpenter’s cellular phone, which contained hundreds of images and dozens of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. During an interview with ISP investigators, Carpenter admitted that he used his phone to access CSAM. Further analysis of Carpenter’s phone revealed that Carpenter also created multiple videos depicting a prepubescent child fully nude in a shower. These videos show Carpenter concealing a camera in multiple locations near the shower to capture video of the child’s genitals and pubic region.
In addition to the prison sentence, Carpenter will also be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student and to pay restitution totaling $76,000 to his victims.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana; and Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Division made the announcement.
HSI investigated this case with the assistance of the ISP, Lake County Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit, and Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.
Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan for the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Indiana Man Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
An Indiana man was sentenced today to 17 and a half years in prison for possessing and creating images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Timothy J. Carpenter, 36, of Portage, came to the attention of law enforcement around July 2022 after he used peer-to-peer software to knowingly receive and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet through his cellular device.
During the investigation, Indiana State Police (ISP) recovered Carpenter’s cellular phone, which contained hundreds of images and dozens of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. During an interview with ISP investigators, Carpenter admitted that he used his phone to access CSAM. Further analysis of Carpenter’s phone revealed that Carpenter also created multiple videos depicting a prepubescent child fully nude in a shower. These videos show Carpenter concealing a camera in multiple locations near the shower to capture video of the child’s genitals and pubic region.
In addition to the prison sentence, Carpenter will also be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student and to pay restitution totaling $76,000 to his victims.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana; and Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Division made the announcement.
HSI investigated this case with the assistance of the ISP, Lake County Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit, and Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.
Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan for the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Illinois Man Sentenced in Carbondale Mail and Bank Fraud Conspiracy Using Stolen Arrow KeyRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A federal judge sentenced an Illinois man to 18 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in a mail theft and bank fraud scheme targeted at collection boxes in Carbondale.
Brian R. Nevils, 25, of South Holland, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of mail theft.
Charged co-conspirators include Quentin S. Abrams, 25, of Charleston, Illinois and Isaiah C. Jordan, 30, of Urbana, Illinois. Abrams was sentenced to time served in April after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of mail theft.
Jordan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced at the federal courthouse in Benton at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 1.
“Criminals who steal checks from collection boxes and commit bank fraud threaten the integrity of our mailing system, and I commend the Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their efforts to gain justice for the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
According to court documents, the defendants used a stolen master key to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout Carbondale. The conspiracy involved altering the payees and amounts of stolen checks, depositing the checks into bank accounts of co-conspirators and then transferring the funds into their own accounts or of their associates.
“This sentencing clearly illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The defendant clearly used illegal activities to defraud local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions. The USPIS is proud to work with our local and federal partners to bring those who perpetrate these crimes to justice.”
Nevils, Jordan and Abrams stole and altered more than 100 checks sent by more than 50 individuals through USPS from March through July 2020. The total estimated loss exceeds $423,000.
"This case highlights the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal agencies in investigating complex crimes that affect our community. The collaboration between the Carbondale Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was key in bringing these offenders to justice. Together, we are committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of our city, protecting both our residents and our institutions from fraudulent schemes,” said Carbondale Police Chief and Interim City Manager Stan Reno.
Demarius L. Flakes, 30, of Blue Island, Illinois, was also charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of mail theft, six counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was recently apprehended in Chicago.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service jointly investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman is prosecuting the case.
Hartford Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YOAN MANUAL DELACRUZ, also known as “Oreja,” 33, citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force identified Delacruz as a large-scale narcotics trafficker who was distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl in the Hartford area. On May 24, 2022, investigators made a controlled purchase of 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl from Delacruz.
Delacruz was arrested on June 13, 2022. On that date, a search of his Wadsworth Street apartment revealed two assault-style firearms, a loaded assault-style magazine, two drum firearm magazines, 12 pistol magazines, seven boxes of ammunition, a suspected drug ledger, and cash. A search of an apartment in the same building that Delacruz used as a stash location revealed two brick-shaped kilograms of fentanyl, a significant quantity of loose fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, three handguns, loaded gun magazines, a bag of ammunition, and cash.
Delacruz has been detained since his arrest. On March 20, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Delacruz faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Granite City Mail Carrier Admits to Stealing from USPS Collection BoxRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A mail carrier employed by the U.S. Postal Service pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing from a collection box in Granite City.
Phillip E. Tucker, 37, of Madison, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by postal employee.
“Mail carriers are entrusted public servants, and postal workers who steal from collection boxes willingly break that trust. I commend the investigators for holding this defendant accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
According to court documents, Tucker stole a Visa gift card from a collection box in Granite City on May 6, 2023. Tucker admitted to using the gift card on several occasions for personal purchases.
Theft of mail by postal employee convictions are punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. Tucker is scheduled for sentencing at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
The USPS Office of the Inspector General led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.
Four Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Offenses Under Project Safe ChildhoodRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach sentenced three individuals in three separate cases for production of child pornography.
Noah Spearman, 23, was sentenced on September 4, 2024, to 327 months (27 years and three months) in prison, and a supervised release term of life, for four counts of production of child pornography. On May 24, 2023, Spearman pleaded guilty to four counts of production of child pornography.
According to court documents, from August 2021 through July 2022, Spearman induced, enticed, and coerced four female victims, ranging from nine to eleven years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Spearman used different social media applications such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Tyia to commit these crimes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Ginette Milanés prosecuted the case.
On August 29, 2024, Christopher Joel Rabell-Piñeiro, 26, was sentenced to 210 months (17 years and six months) in prison and a supervised release term of 15 years, for one count of production of child pornography.
According to court documents, Rabell-Piñeiro used his cell phone and internet instant messaging services from November 2021 through March 2022 to use and coerce a 12-year-old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that sexual conduct and transmitting the images.
Rabell-Piñeiro was indicted on May 31, 2023, and pleaded guilty on May 28, 2024. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
AUSA Emelina Agrait-Barreto from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.
On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Eric Torres-Nieves, was sentenced to 66 months (five years and six months) of imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release for obtaining via the internet and possessing child pornography in his electronic devices.
AUSA Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case and HSI was in charge of the investigation of the case.
On Thursday, September 5, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Bladimir López-Sanes, to 72 months (six years) of imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release for transferring via the internet child pornography in his electronic devices.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case and HSI was in charge of the investigation of the case.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcements.
All cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Yesterday, Brandon O. Sanders, 29 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Sanders was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between August and September 2023, on four separate occasions Sanders sold over 4,000 fentanyl pills. Additional fentanyl pills, evidence of drug trafficking, a loaded firearm and $28,000 was found during a search of his residence. Sanders has previous convictions for felony distribution of a controlled substance of and a handgun offense, and as such is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Rockland County Diving Coach Sentenced to 220 Months in Prison for Transporting Two Minors for Illegal Sexual Activity in 2006 and 2008Read the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that VICTOR BYRNE was sentenced to 220 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for transporting two minors to engage in illegal sexual activity in 2006 and 2008. The sentencing today followed BYRNE’s guilty plea on March 14, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Byrne used his position as a diving coach to sexually exploit young athletes. Byrne’s conduct is the nightmare of every parent who entrusts their child to a coach. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the passage of years will not prevent us from holding child predators accountable for their conduct.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In or about July 2006, BYRNE transported a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Rockland County, New York, and, once in New York, engaged in illegal sexual activity with Victim-1.
In or about February 2008, BYRNE arranged for a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-2”) to be transported from New Jersey to Rockland County, New York, and, thereafter, engaged in illegal sexual activity with Victim-2.
From in or about 2001 through at least 2009, BYRNE was a diving coach for competitive youth divers. He coached several teams of youth divers in and around Rockland County, New York. BYRNE began abusing Victim-1 when she was 14 years old. For Victim-2, the abuse began when she was 16. To gain the trust of his victims and their families and others he coached, BYRNE falsely held himself out as a police officer.
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In addition to the prison term, BYRNE, 58, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the New York City Police Department Special Victims Unit assigned to the HSI Human Trafficking Task Force in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Former District of Columbia Public School Employee and Government Contractor Indicted in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Dana Garnett, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a former District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) employee, with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. The indictment also charges Yelake Meseretu, 40, owner of U.S. Office Solutions, a vendor of goods to DCPS, with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for Garnett steering business to Meseretu’s business, and for accepting significantly fewer supplies than ordered in exchange for the bribe payments.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The indictment alleges that over the course of at least five years, Garnett accepted payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders awarded to the vendors that were paid in full by DCPS. According to the indictment, however, Garnett and co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, another former DCPS employee had coordinated with the vendors to deliver a lesser amount of goods than were listed on the orders. Based on false certifications made by or at the direction of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the orders as if the orders had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and Bailey in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area.
In several related cases, three defendants have accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Patricia Bailey pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement and information filed in October 2023 in U.S. District Court. Two of the vendors who made cash payments to Garnett and Bailey have also pleaded guilty: Donald McWhirter, owner of General Merchandise, and Duane King, owner of American Business Supplies (ABS), for their roles in the scheme. King additionally pleaded guilty to his role in a similar scheme in which King made bribe payments to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services Department (DC FEMS) employees Charity Keys and Louis Mitchell in return for the award of business by DC FEMS to King’s company and for the authorization of payments to King’s company for goods that were not actually delivered. Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Firearms straw purchaser convictedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a woman with ties to the Houston area on one count of conspiracy and seven counts of making false statements to licensed firearms dealers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Karina Deluna, 37, guilty after a four-day trial.
From approximately Sept. 29, 2018, through at least Aug. 11, 2022, Deluna conspired with others to knowingly make false written statements to licensed firearms dealers aka straw purchasing.
Deluna and her co-conspirators conducted straw purchases of at least 13 firearms, including multiple AR-15 style rifles, 9 mm handguns and a .50-caliber rifle. Testimony revealed Deluna’s co-conspirators intended to export the illegally obtained firearms to Mexico.
The jury also heard that on Aug. 11, 2022, law enforcement discovered that conspirators were picking up a straw purchased Barrett, .50-caliber rifle from a federal firearms licensee in Houston. Authorities quickly responded and seized the $9,000 firearm from Deluna and others. The investigation revealed it had been destined for Mexico.
During trial, the jury also heard from experts regarding the regulations and various licensing requirements necessary for exporting firearms to Mexico.
The jury also saw the straw purchased .50-caliber rifle.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 19. At that time, Deluna faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Previously released on bond, Deluna was taken into custody following the guilty verdicts where she will remain pending sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with the support of Homeland Security Investigations and the departments of Commerce and State. ATF Mexico provided substantial assistance in recovering some of the straw purchased weapons. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron Black are prosecuting the case.
Finance director of prominent aviation provider indicted for $1.2 million mail fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 57-year-old resident of Mission for engaging in a sophisticated scheme to defraud her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elizabeth Batten has turned herself into authorities and is expected to make her initial appearance at 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
According to the indictment returned Sept. 4, Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. While serving in that role, she allegedly diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. She used signed blank company checks, intended for legitimate business purposes, to settle her personal credit card accounts, according to the charges. She allegedly concealed her actions by sending the fraudulent payments through the U.S. Postal Service.
In late 2023, a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks. A subsequent investigation allegedly uncovered the full extent of the financial damage Batten’s actions caused.
The indictment charges Batten with 10 counts of mail fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Flores is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Finance Director Indicted for Embezzling from Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with embezzling over $320,000 from a District non-profit advocacy organization, according to an indictment unsealed today.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Lewis was arrested yesterday. The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and October 2022, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. On at least 35 occasions, Lewis used his position to misdirect hundreds of thousands in payments to bank accounts he controlled, while falsely designating the payments to a vendor for “digital” services and creating other false documentation to hide the embezzlement. Lewis also allegedly misused the organization’s credit card on at least eleven occasions to purchase airfare for travel by Lewis and his friends and family.
Lewis is charged with nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he would face up to 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Father and Son Fentanyl Dealers Who Operated on Yuma Street Sentenced to Federal Prison TermsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alphonso Lorenzo Murray, 50, and Marquete Alonzo Murray, 31, both of Washington D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for participating in an open-air narcotics market operating on the 100 block of Yuma Street, in Southeast.
The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced Alphonso Murray today to 45 months in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Alphonso Murray pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. In his plea agreement, Alphonso Murray acknowledged that he was accountable for distributing 42.179 grams of fentanyl, 15.87 grams of fentanyl analogue, and 5.67 grams of crack cocaine.
Judge Nichols sentenced Marquete Murray to 60 months and prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release. Marquete Murray, Alphonso’s son, pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Marquete Murray acknowledged that law enforcement recovered weapons from his home in Northeast on two occasions. On July 19, 2023, HSI agents seized a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson with an obliterated serial number loaded with 13 rounds ammunition and an additional 37 rounds of ammo. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents recovered a Glock pistol with a 17-round magazine.
According to court documents, law enforcement began an investigation into an open-air drug market in December 2022, operating around the 100 block of Yuma Street Southeast. Agents identified several men who worked together to distribute a variety of drugs. On August 9, 2023, an HSI undercover bought 9.03 grams of fentanyl pre-packaged into 60 plastic bags from Marquete Murray who was assisted in the sale by his father. On September 21, 2023, an undercover officer from the MPD bought 10 grams of fentanyl in 56 small bags from Alphonso Murray. On October 5, 2023, the MPD undercover bought an additional 15.87 grams of fentanyl from Alphonso Murray.
On November 29, 2023, HSI agents arrested Alphonso Murray at his home on the 200 block of Adams Street, NE, where they also recovered 5.67 grams of crack cocaine. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents arrested Marquete Murray at his apartment on the 700 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE.
The arrests were part of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in many more prosecutions of fentanyl dealers in and around the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Andrea Duvall and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Family Members Who Conspired to Defraud U.S. Sentenced in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Kenneth, Christopher, and Irma Flores, the three San Antonio family members who pleaded guilty to government fraud and gratuities charges in August 2023, were sentenced in federal court Friday.
According to court documents, Kenneth Flores, 51, Christopher Flores, 55, and Irma Flores, 75, conspired together to defraud the United States by eliminating competition and fixing contract awards and prices on Army contracts for the housekeeping and janitorial services at Army Hospitals and Medical Centers. Kenneth Flores pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government; Irma and Christopher Flores pleaded guilty to paying gratuities to government officials who helped in the scheme to defraud government contracts. The scheme involved a corrupt partnership between the three Flores family members and co-conspirator government employees. Karisa Waysepappy Kelley and John Jordan “Chip” Mathes. The scheme brought in millions of dollars in work on Army healthcare housekeeping and janitorial services contracts to the Flores family in return for bribes and kickbacks, which helped induce Kelley and Mathes to aid the Flores’ in eliminating competition in the process.
From Nov. 15, 2018, until June 25, 2020, Christopher Flores’s company, Alliance Supply, paid $216,710.46 to Mathes’ company, C & S Consulting. From Feb. 21, 2019, until July 17, 2020, Alliance Supply paid Kelley’s company Waysepappy Consulting $57,906.50. Irma Flores served as the bookkeeper for Allegiance Environmental Services, a company owned by Kenneth Flores, under which Alliance operated. Mathes and Kelley pleaded guilty in February 2023. Both are scheduled to sentenced in the coming weeks.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Kenneth Flores to four years in prison, Christopher Flores to two years in prison, and Irma Flores to five years of probation. As part of their plea agreements, they agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $3.7 million.
“The actions of these three family members—defrauding our institutions and corrupting the integrity of government contracts intended to support military facilities—were a betrayal of public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Our office remains committed to rooting out corruption and holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources for personal gain.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, is committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle for the DCIS Southwest Field Office, "Today's outcome represents the extraordinary efforts by our law enforcement partners, alongside the Department of Justice, to hold accountable those who seek to enrich themselves by fraudulent means and pilfer precious taxpayer resources.”
“Today’s sentencing illustrates Army CID’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the Army’s procurement process and ensuring that Department of the Army resources are safeguarded against unlawful and unfair practices,” said Special Agent in Charge Maria E. Thomas for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office. “We’ll continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to expose fraudulent activity and hold individuals accountable who attempt to defraud the U.S. Army and government for services Soldiers and families rely on.”
“Government contracts support the missions of the United States and its military,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin for the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General’s Southwest and Rocky Mountain Investigations Division. “Those who do business with the federal government are expected to engage in fair and honest business practices. GSA OIG will work diligently with investigative partners to investigate fraudulent activity and hold offenders accountable for their actions.”
“It is fitting that the sentences for these felons are handed down in Military City USA. Whether you’re from San Antonio or anywhere else in our country, defrauding our nation’s armed forces is a level of greed that shouldn’t be explored,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Today’s sentences underscore our unwavering commitment to partner with other law enforcement agencies to bring to justice those who engage in bribery and corrupt practices, regardless of their position or influence.”
The DCIS, Army CID, GSA-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Stephenson, Joe Blackwell, former AUSA William Lewis, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales electorales en la ciudad de Pawtucket (en Providence County), Rhode Island, en las elecciones primarias del 10 de septiembre.
El Departamento asignará observadores federales para monitorear las elecciones en la ciudad de Pawtucket para asegurar el cumplimiento con la Ley de Derechos Electorales. Con anterioridad este año, una corte federal aprobó un decreto por consentimiento para resolver las alegaciones del Departamento bajo la sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales sobre la disponibilidad de asistencia electoral y materiales en español para votantes hispanos con conocimientos limitados del idioma inglés en la ciudad de Pawtucket. La sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo a Pawtucket, provean materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. El decreto también aborda una reclamación bajo la sección 302 de la Ley de Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar. La sección 302 exige que las jurisdicciones provean votos provisionales en elecciones federales. El decreto por consentimiento autoriza a observadores federales a monitorear las actividades el Día de Elecciones en los lugares de votación del condado.
El Departamento envía personal periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país. Además, la División envía observadores federales de la Oficina de Administración de Personal de EE.UU. según autorizado por una orden judicial federal.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles, junto con las Oficinas de los Fiscales Federales, vela por el cumplimiento de las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, y la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Denuncias relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales pueden presentarse mediate el formulario en línea de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por teléfono al (800) 253-3931.
El Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales electorales en la ciudad de Pawtucket, Rhode Island, en las elecciones primarias del 10 de septiembre.
El Departamento asignará observadores federales para monitorear las elecciones en la ciudad de Pawtucket para asegurar el cumplimiento con la Ley de Derechos Electorales. Con anterioridad este año, una corte federal aprobó un decreto por consentimiento para resolver las alegaciones del Departamento bajo la sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales sobre la disponibilidad de asistencia electoral y materiales en español para votantes hispanos con conocimientos limitados del idioma inglés en la ciudad de Pawtucket. La sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo a Pawtucket, provean materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. El decreto también aborda una reclamación bajo la sección 302 de la Ley de Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar. La sección 302 exige que las jurisdicciones provean votos provisionales en elecciones federales. El decreto por consentimiento autoriza a observadores federales a monitorear las actividades el Día de Elecciones en los lugares de votación del condado.
El Departamento envía personal periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país. Además, la División envía observadores federales de la Oficina de Administración de Personal de EE.UU. según autorizado por una orden judicial federal.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles, junto con las Oficinas de los Fiscales Federales, vela por el cumplimiento de las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, y la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Denuncias relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales pueden presentarse mediate el formulario en línea de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por teléfono al (800) 253-3931.
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Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $600,000 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today that a defense contractor based out of Killeen, Texas, will pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that it improperly billed for services that it did not perform.
The settlement resolves allegations that Solution One Industries Inc. made false claims in conjunction with a contract awarded to Solution One by the U.S. Air Force. Solution One contracted to support the 421st Combat Training Squadron based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey by performing different tasks under specific contract line items, on an as-needed basis. The settlement resolves allegations that from December 2017 through June 2019, Solution One billed for tasks that it did not perform, including providing backup power and providing briefings to military personnel.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the U.S. Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, under the direction of Brig. Gen. Amy S. Bumgarner, with the investigation of the allegations.
The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark.
solutionone.settlement.pdfCredit Union Robber Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man who robbed a credit union in Jennings, Missouri in 2018 to 12 years in prison.
Shayne McKee, 42, pleaded guilty in June to robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted committing the armed robbery of the St. Louis Community Credit Union at 7345 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings, Missouri on May 5, 2018. McKee and an accomplice entered the credit union wearing masks and McKee announced a robbery, pulled a gun on bank employees and demanded money.
McKee’s DNA linked him to the robbery. When he was arrested on Sept. 4, 2019, he had a backpack on his lap containing a loaded .45-caliber Glock pistol. As a felon, McKee was barred from possessing a firearm.
The FBI and the Saint Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Boyce and Cassandra Wiemken prosecuted the case.
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Awarded more than $1 Million to Fight Gang and Cartel CrimeRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation has been awarded a million-dollar grant through the U.S. Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants program to address active gang and cartel-related drug activity and violent crime on the reservation, announced Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
“The strong partnerships we have with the leaders of the Yakama Nation are critical to our shared mission of addressing the root causes of the MMIP crisis, which include combatting illegal narcotics and reducing violent crime. This grant demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to partnering with Tribes to ensure the safety and security of Indigenous communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Working together we will continue to build trust and foster stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington.”
The project description for the $1,028,000 awarded to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation says the funds will be used by the Yakama Nation Public Safety Department (YNPD) to dedicate up to four officers to the local county and Federal Drug Task Forces, purchase equipment, provide detention space, and provide essential investigative resources.
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is a U.S. Department of Justice formula grant program. The JAG program allocates funds to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands for a variety of state and local criminal justice initiatives. The program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Claremore Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Incapable VictimRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III, sentenced Cody Paul Miller after being found guilty by a Federal jury in January. Miller, 47, was found guilty of Sexual Abuse of an Incapable Victim in Indian Country. Judge Murphy ordered Miller to 138 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In July 2023, the 18-year-old victim spent the night at Miller's house with two friends, both under 18. The victim and underage minors began consuming alcohol with the Miller. The victim testified that later into the night, she woke up to Miller sexually assaulting her. She repeatedly asked the defendant to stop, and he did not. After leaving Miller’s home, the victim went to a friend’s home to disclose what Miller did. After receiving encouragement from her friend, the victim contacted the police.
When police questioned Miller, he told officers that the victim “got drunk really fast that night” and even “fell off the bed” because she was so drunk. Miller stated that the sexual acts were consensual and that he stopped when the victim asked him to stop.
Miller is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Collinsville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria G. Luster and Matthew P. Cyran prosecuted the case.
Chester Man Convicted of Tax Evasion, False Statements, and Illegal Gun Possession in Multi-Million Dollar Business SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawrencium Germaine Martin, 47, of Chester, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and making false statements to federal investigators.
At the plea hearing, the Government presented evidence that from at least 2019 through 2021, Martin operated a business known as Lancaster Tactical Supply (LTS) through the website LTacticalSupply.com. LTS appeared to customers to be a legitimate business that sold firearm accessories and parts, including Glock and Sig Sauer build kits, slides, imitation suppressors, optics, and body armor. However, at least 380 customers from 43 states lodged complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs, generally alleging that LTS took their money and failed to ship the products, ultimately leaving the customer without their money or the products they paid for.
Investigators with the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation determined that the revenue LTS was generating was significant. Through one payment processor alone in 2020, LTS generated more than $2,000,000 in revenue. Although those proceeds were deposited into Martin’s personal bank accounts, and LTS was operated out of Martin’s residence and Martin’s business location, the investigation also revealed Martin failed to pay state or federal income tax for any year from 2015 through 2022.
As for tax evasion, Martin admitted that he evaded federal income tax. IRS Criminal Investigation has determined that figure is more than $800,000 for 2020 alone, but Martin did not admit to a specific figure. Martin further admitted that he obtained the personal identifying information of another person through a legitimate employment relationship, and then operated LTS in that person’s name without authorization so that revenue was reported to the IRS as attributable to that person rather than Martin.
As for felon in possession of a firearm, when agents searched Martin’s residence and business in Chester pursuant to a federal search warrant, Martin was found to be in possession of a 9mm handgun despite multiple felony convictions, including for theft by deception, possession of stolen property, obtaining property under false pretenses, fraudulent check, larceny after breaking and entering, possession of implements used in a crime, burglary, and larceny of a motor vehicle. Agents also found shipping labels and material associated with LTS during that search.
Finally, Martin admitted that when the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office interviewed Martin, he claimed to have never heard of LTS, to have never received money from LTS or its customers, and to not know how his name became associated with LTS. Those statements were false and material to the investigation.
Martin faces up to 10 years in federal prison, mandatory restitution, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of Court-ordered supervision following any term of imprisonment. Martin was placed on bond by United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Martin at a later date.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with critical assistance from the Chester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.
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Buffalo man charged with burning restaurant and barRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John W. Burns, 40 years old, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with maliciously damaging and destroying, and attempt to damage and destroy, by means of fire, a building and real property used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce, namely a restaurant and bar located at 223 Allen Street in Buffalo, NY, which carries a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that on June 17, 2024, Burns was at the restaurant and bar, known as the “Old Pink”, and had a confrontation with another individual formerly contracted to work security for the Old Pink. Following that confrontation, Burns left the Old Pink and told the former security guard he would return to “burn that bitch down” and “ain’t nobody going to have a job”. Approximately two hours later, the restaurant was engulfed in flames. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement obtained video evidence, which shows an individual setting the building on fire. Burns is identified by witnesses as the individual in the video.
“Arson is an extremely dangerous crime, placing lives and property in danger”, stated United States Attorney Trini E. Ross. “Arson has tremendous ripple effects, leaving people homeless, without employment, or both. Here, the arson of the Old Pink left employees without jobs and destroyed an iconic gathering place in the Buffalo community. Such harm to our community will not be tolerated. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute all persons who commit arson, and other federal crimes, that negatively impact the Western District of New York.”
The defendant is schedule for an Initial Appearance on the criminal complaint at 1:00 pm today, before Magistrate Judge H, Kenneth Schroeder.
The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge; Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting District Attorney Michael J. Keane; Buffalo Fire Department, under the direction of Commissioner William Renaldo; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Billy Ray Castle Jr., 40, of Bim, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 24, 2023, Castle possessed a Beretta Pietro SPA Model APX 9mm pistol and a Sig Sauer model P250 .40-caliber pistol in the Bim area of Boone County.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Castle knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for robbery in Boone County Circuit Court on November 18, 2003.
Castle is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Boone County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-71.
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Bealeton woman sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting two childrenRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bealeton woman was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, in 2023 and 2024, Anna Grace Layher, 27, produced sexually explicit videos and images of two children, ages six and three, both of whom were family members. Layher sent the videos to her boyfriend, Davey Jonathan Sisk, 29, of Culpeper, Virginia.
Layher pled guilty on May 2 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Sisk pled guilty on July 9 to attempting to sexually exploit a child and receiving child pornography. Sisk is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra Serano and Christina Schiciano prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-52.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Possession of A Firearm and Ammunition by A Prohibited Person and Possession of A Firearm in A School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Troy Spencer, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, to a total of 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in a school zone and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”).
On March 6, 2023, Spencer attended an elementary school basketball game at Leith Walk Elementary Middle School in the Northeastern District of Baltimore. Toward the end of the game, Spencer confronted the coaches of his son’s team over what he believed to be a lack of playing time. An argument escalated into a physical altercation, during which Spencer withdrew a firearm from his waistband and pointed it one of the coaches. The firearm was wrestled from Spencer, who then fled the scene in his car. Spencer was arrested on March 15, 2023 by the Baltimore Police Department’s Warrant Apprehension Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their help in the investigation as well as the Leith Walk Elementary Middle School community for their support. Mr. Barron also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Assailant Sentenced to 24 Months for Assaulting United States Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Pedro Anival Coc-Caal, 22, of Tectitan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 24 months in prison. Coc-Caal pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Agent Inflicting Bodily Injury and Improper Entry by an Alien on June 24, 2024.
On August 12, 2023, a United States Border Patrol agent was in the process of arresting Coc-Caal for illegal entry into the United States. As the agent attempted to handcuff him, Coc-Caal struck the agent on the left side of the agent’s face, causing the agent’s head to snap downwards and knocking his sunglasses off his face. As the agent tried to prevent Coc-Caal from escaping, Coc-Caal kicked the agent in the arm, causing the agent to fall backwards onto jagged rocks, causing injury to the agent’s finger. Coc-Caal escaped into the desert but was eventually apprehended after a foot pursuit aided by helicopter.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01369-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-120_Coc-Caal# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Arrested at Nashville International Airport and Charged with Possession of over 50 Pounds of Fentanyl-Laced PillsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A criminal complaint obtained today charges Yusef Ibn Abdul Jabbar Hunter, 23, of Phoenix, Arizona, with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis.
According to the complaint, on September 5, 2024, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Nashville learned the defendant was flying from Phoenix, Arizona to Nashville, that he made his travel arrangements shortly before the flight and that he had checked luggage that may contain illegal drugs. Once the plane landed, a trained drug detection dog alerted on the defendant’s luggage. Thereafter, the defendant consented to a search of his luggage and agents found hundreds of blue pills stamped with “M30” markings designed to make them look like prescription Oxycodone. A field test confirmed the presence of fentanyl. In total, the pills weighed over 50 pounds.
“This seizure is a testament to the continued vigilance of the DEA and local law enforcement and the great work they are doing every day to protect our communities,” said United States Attorney Henry Leventis. “However, it is also a frightening reminder of the prevalence of counterfeit pills that can be laced with fentanyl or other dangerous drugs and of the need for people to purchase prescription drugs from licensed vendors to ensure their safety.”
If convicted, Hunter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years with the possibility of life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the DEA and the Nashville International Airport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire is prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Amsterdam Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Payano, age 24, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, for distributing fentanyl pills, and for using a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Payano admitted that he conspired with Bernardo Tovar to distribute counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine, from May 2022 to December 2022. Payano also admitted that he distributed fentanyl pills and a firearm to another person on October 12, 2022. He also admitted that he and Tovar possessed fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well two firearms in their apartment, on December 7, 2022, when their apartment was searched.
Chief United States District Judge Branda K. Sannes also ordered that Payano serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Payano’s co-conspirator, Tovar, previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 181 months in prison.
The DEA and ATF investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
American Airlines Mechanic Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Import Cocaine Bricks in Compartment Under Cockpit of JetlinerRead the Press Release
UPDATE
The defendant’s conviction for the conduct described in the press release below was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on January 23, 2026. See 20-CR-219 (DLI) ECF No. 169.
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Paul Belloisi, a former American Airlines mechanic at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport), was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 108 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import and possess cocaine. Belloisi was convicted in May 2023 following a one-week jury trial of all three counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring to possess and import cocaine, and importing cocaine.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Darren B. McCormack, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Francis J. Russo, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office (CBP), announced the sentence.
“The defendant abused his insider position at JFK Airport to help smuggle more than 25 pounds of cocaine into the United States in a highly sensitive electronics compartment of an international aircraft,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This conduct not only furthers the trafficking of drugs that harms our communities, but also poses a serious threat to the security of a vital border crossing in our district and our transportation infrastructure. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the government takes these threats very seriously, and those who work in trusted positions at our airports and in other critical industries must know that they face serious consequences for crimes of corruption.”
“Paul Belloisi put his personal gain before the safety of the aviation industry by abusing his position to participate in a scheme to import over 25 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., storing smuggled narcotics within sensitive areas of passenger airplanes. His demise should send a message to anyone attempting to exploit the aviation industry: HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are committed to maintain the safety of the U.S. domestic and international transportation infrastructure,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge McCormack. “I am proud to stand alongside the Eastern District of New York and CBP in bringing this corrupt ‘inside man’ to justice.”
“This case serves as a great example of collaborative law enforcement efforts to combat international narcotics trafficking conspirators. U.S. Customs and Border Protection thanks our partners at HSI and the USAO for their continued cooperation,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo.
On February 4, 2020, American Airlines flight 1349 arrived at JFK Airport’s Terminal 8 from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The aircraft was selected for a routine search by CBP officers from the JFK Airport Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team. The officers found 10 bricks of cocaine weighing 25.56 pounds hidden inside an electronics compartment on the underside of the cockpit. The cocaine was replaced with fake bricks and sprayed with a substance that glows when illuminated with a special black light. CBP officers and HSI special agents placed the aircraft under surveillance from a distance and shortly before it was scheduled to take off for its next flight, they observed Belloisi drive up and pull himself inside the electronics compartment. Belloisi was confronted by law enforcement who observed his gloves glowing under the black light indicating he had handled the fake bricks. Belloisi was also carrying an empty tool bag and the lining of his jacket had cutouts sufficiently large enough to hold the bricks. The cocaine found in the aircraft had a street value of more than $250,000.
The case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Pollack and Margaret Schierberl are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Sophia Cronin.
The Defendant:
PAUL BELLOISI
Age: 56
Smithtown, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-219 (DLI)
Alleged 18th Street Gang Affiliate Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Non-CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Erik Antonio Hernandez Pineda, 27, recently of Washington D.C., was sentenced today for illegally possessing and discharging a pistol twice within the District during September 2023 and for using the firearm to persistently terrorize his wife. Hernandez Pineda, who is a citizen of El Salvador and an alleged associate of the multinational gang Calle 18, or 18th Street, is in the United States unlawfully and knew that as a noncitizen it was illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the charged possession, he was also subject to a domestic violence protective order barring him from possessing a firearm.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hernandez Pineda, aka “Lucky,” pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States. Today he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Hernandez Pineda faces deportation following his prison term.
According to court documents, Hernandez Pineda purchased a 9mm Springfield XD firearm on January 20, 2023. An FBI investigation into the 18th Street gang began focusing on Hernandez Pineda when investigators learned he had purchased the charged firearm from an 18th Street gang member. Specifically, the pistol had been used in a shooting on January 11, 2023, on a Washington, D.C. Metrobus where two children (aged 6 and 9 at the time) were shot as bystanders after an altercation broke out between two individuals.
Review of a phone recovered from the 18th Street gang member eventually linked the sale of the gun to Hernandez Pineda. On September 18, 2023, Hernandez Pineda recorded a video of himself shooting the pistol into the air. The same minute this video was recorded, at 1:37 am, the MPD received a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity of the Hernandez Pineda’s residence. MPD recovered two 9mm shell casings nearby. These were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and yielded a lead to the January 11, 2023, Metrobus shooting. On September 24, 2023, at about 6:48 PM, MPD received another ShotSpotter alert from the area near Hernandez Pineda’s residence. Officers responded and recovered one 9mm shell casing in the alley behind the building.
Between these two shootings, on September 20, 2023, Hernandez Pineda pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges in Alexandria, Virginia, but was admitted to a diversionary program that granted him a two-year probationary term to comply with the conditions of the program. This plea also included a final order of protection that barred him from possessing a firearm and required him to sign an acknowledgement of that fact.
On December 8, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hernandez Pineda’s residence and recovered three live 9mm rounds from a drawer. Law enforcement also recovered his cell phone. Hernandez Pineda admitted to possessing the Springfield XD 9mm pistol. Law enforcement reviewed Hernandez Pineda’s phone after his arrest and learned that, not only did he discharge this firearm twice, he also used it as part of his persistent harassment and intimidation of his wife following his arrest on May 17, 2023, for alleged domestic violence and assault.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Washington D.C., the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
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35-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Filming 9-Year-Old’s MolestationRead the Press Release
A Granbury man was sentenced Thursday to 50 years in federal prison for filming himself molesting a 9-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Stephen Wayne, Ashley, Jr., 35, was charged in March and pleaded guilty in May to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman to 600 months in prison – 360 months as to the sexual exploitation count and 240 months as to the child pornography count, to run consecutively. Judge Pittman also ordered the defendant to pay $13,500 in restitution to several victims and to register as a sex offender.
“This defendant chose to repeatedly sexually exploit a child and then made a conscious decision to film himself conducting these egregious offenses,” said HSI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jesse Woods. “HSI is grateful for the collaboration of all our law enforcement partners for their role in this investigation, ensuring that this individual will never harm an innocent child again.”
According to court documents, the investigation began when the New South Wales Police in Australia began looking into an individual who shared links containing child pornography on Twitter (now known as X). One of the links, which contained over 1,600 files of mostly child pornography, was traced to Mr. Ashley.
On March 11, agents executed a search warrant at Mr. Ashley’s residence, where they found Mr. Ashley’s phone. On the phone, they found a hidden folder containing videos of Mr. Ashley sexually molesting a 9-year-old girl.
After being Mirandized, Mr. Ashley admitted to officers that he began filming the child when she was 7 and continued to do so for a period of years.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the New South Wales Police and the Hood County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
27 Defendants Charged in Florida Keys-Based Drug Trafficking IndictmentRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 5, the United States unsealed an indictment charging 27 defendants, including Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority employees, commercial charter boat operators, and a former City of Marathon employee, with federal drug and firearm offenses in and around the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County.
The thirteen count indictment charges John Robert Strama Jr., 42, of Marathon, Fla., Rusty John Stiglitz, 39, of Marathon, Fla., Daniel Fernando Ramirez, 43, of Key West, Fla., Daniel Delgado, 38, of Miami Springs, Fla., Orlando Rene Gonzalez, 29, of Hialeah, Fla., Alfred Michael Nunez, 34, of Marathon, Fla., Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 31, of Marathon, Fla., Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 36, of Marathon, Fla., Nyran Antonio Ross, 32, of Marathon, Fla., and Tyrell Lamar Williams, 36, of Marathon, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties.
The indictment charges Louis Charles Arvelo, 38, of Boca Raton, Fla., Andrew Hamill Hunt, 36, of Marathon, Fla., Kevin Andrew Yeider, 46, of Marathon, Fla., Jose Enrique Olivo Sanchez, 34, of Marathon, Fla., Kenyatta Scott Jr., 32, of Key West, Fla., Macarthur Junior Sheppard, 36, of Marathon, Fla., Alberto Ravelo Jr., 34, of Hialeah, Fla., Allison Annmarie Thomas, 29, of Marathon, Fla., Kizmet Yatz Qualls, 51, of Marathon, Fla., James Dean Chatelain, 34, of Marathon, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties.
The indictment further charges Michael David Corbosiero, 68, of Boca Raton, Fla., Michael Joseph Rodamer, 63, of Key Colony Beach, Fla., Robert Roy Taute Jr., 50, of Marathon, Fla., Bairon Aceituno Machado, 34, formerly of Marathon, Fla., Lazaro Jesus Hernandez, 35, formerly of Marathon, Fla., Anthony Velez Llanes, 38, of Little Torch Key, Fla., and Tyler Jameson Macmillan, 33, of Big Pine Key, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute less than 500 grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties. The indictment also specified various real estate properties, vessels, and vehicles are subject to criminal forfeiture.
Strama, a convicted felon, also faces additional federal charges for cocaine distribution, using a child under the age of 14 to engage in drug trafficking and avoid detection and apprehension, and possessing a firearm and ammunition after a previous felony conviction.
Stiglitz, Ramirez, Gonzalez, Nunez, Ross, Sheppard, and Chatelain face additional federal charges for cocaine distribution. Ross, Williams, Sheppard, and Scott also face additional federal charges for cocaine distribution within 1,000 feet of playgrounds in Florida City, Fla., and Marathon, Fla.
On Sept. 5, the defendants started to be taken into custody at various locations and began making their initial appearances in the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Strama, Stiglitz, Ramirez, Delgado, Gonzalez, Nunez, Ruiz, Lugo, Ross, and Williams face up to life imprisonment. Scott and Sheppard face up to 80 years in prison. Arvelo, Hunt, Yeider, Olivo, Ravelo, Thomas, Qualls, and Chatelain face up to 40 years in prison. Corbosiero, Rodamer, Taute, Machado, Hernandez, Llanes, and MacMillian face up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from Homestead Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, FBI Detroit Field Office, and U.S. Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Maranda is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20386.
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5 September 2024
Woman Who Embezzled from St. Louis-Area Company Before Going to Scotland Sentenced to 45 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a woman who stole $165,239 from a St. Louis-area company before leaving for Scotland to 45 months in prison.
Sarah Lynn Tweedie, now 49, was also ordered to repay the money. After her release from prison, she will be forbidden from working in a job where she has access to money or the financial information of other people without permission.
Tweedie, formerly known as Sarah Jauregui, pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She admitted that while working as the controller of a St. Louis area comic book company, she devised a scheme to steal from her employer in multiple ways. She used her company credit card and a card belonging to a former employee to make $138,137 in purchases, including a Scottish kilt and a $1,239 premium seat upgrade on her flight from Chicago to Glasgow.
Tweedie also used the corporate account to purchase $6,400 in Amazon gift cards.
Finally, she fraudulently increased her annual salary from $80,000 to $110,000 and triggered $16,086 in expense reimbursements to which she was not entitled.
Tweedie began a long-distance relationship with a Scottish man in 2015, according to extradition documents, and they became engaged in March of 2017, the month before she began working for the publishing company.
Tweedie told her employer in December of 2017 that her fiancée had been injured in a car accident and that she needed to leave to be with him, according to court documents. In reality, Tweedie had applied for and received a visa to live in Scotland and did not plan to return. She was arrested on July 9, 2019, but fought extradition until her final appeal was denied in March of 2024.
“Sarah Tweedie fled the United States to avoid accountability for her crimes. She even used the victim company’s credit card to buy her one-way airline ticket to Scotland,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Thanks to the persistence of Scottish authorities in successfully locating, arresting, and extraditing her, justice was served today.”
The Florissant Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Scottish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Tweedie. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Winter Haven Man Indicted for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Raysheio Black (24, Winter Haven) with Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. If convicted on all counts, Black faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in federal prison—which must be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2024, three individuals entered a convenience in Plant City with dark-colored face coverings, gloves, masks, and armed with semi-automatic pistols. They demanded money from the clerk and removed cash from the register. A review of store surveillance video captured the suspects’ arrival and departure in a black SUV.
Agents noticed several similarities between the convenience store robbery and another robbery that had occurred days earlier at a pizza delivery location in Lakeland. On February 22, 2024, after identifying Black, officers with the Lakeland Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a black SUV in Lakeland and ultimately arrested Raysheio Black.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Lakeland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DUPREY, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” 53, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 141 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Duprey trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
Duprey and 13 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
Duprey has been detained since his arrest. On February 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Duprey’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes a federal conviction in 2008 for trafficking heroin. He was sentenced, as a career offender, to 161 months of imprisonment for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in 2022.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Tierney a.k.a. “Wodanaz,” age 31, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for conspiring to commit bank robbery.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Tierney admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, he agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna a.k.a. “Lt.” and Michael Brown, Jr. a.k.a. “Russ.” As part of that conspiracy, Kenna conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery; Tierney ordered handgun parts for use in the robbery and sent photographs to Kenna of a handgun and a radio scanning and jamming device for use in robbing the bank; and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered that Tierney serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Tierney’s two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna, and Michael Brown, Jr., pled guilty and were sentenced on June 14, 2024, to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively.
The FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police, investigated the case. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Undocumented Individual Charged in Connection with Voting Fraud and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An undocumented individual has been charged in connection with her fraudulent assumption of a United States citizen’s identity and her use of that identity to vote in multiple elections and obtain multiple United States passports, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Resident Agent in Charge Joseph R. Wysowaty of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Atlanta Resident Office.
A nine-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, most recently of Russellville, with false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, false statements in application for a United States passport, use of a United States passport obtained by false statements, and aggravated identity theft. A plea agreement was filed with the information, indicating that Francisco has agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges.
According to the information and plea agreement, Francisco assumed the identity of a United States citizen in or around 2011. Francisco used the false identity to obtain a United States passport in 2011. She subsequently used the United States passport to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Using the same false identity, Francisco also registered to vote in Alabama in 2016 and voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections. And in 2021, Francisco used the same false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.
The Court will set a date for Francisco to enter her guilty plea.
DSS investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the East Metro Area Crime Center, and the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine, and Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention Launch Elder Fraud Program at Hannaford Pharmacies Across MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine today announced an innovative new elder fraud awareness program that will utilize the inherent relationships of pharmacists and their customers to reach older Mainers. The Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine, and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention.
“Pharmacists are consistently ranked among the most trusted health care providers, and with approximately 9 out of 10 people over age 65 having at least one regular prescription, pharmacists will be a key partner in our efforts to inform this population,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That trust and regular contact makes pharmacies an ideal conduit to reach older Mainers, as well as their family members or caregivers.”
The program, which is designed to educate Mainers on common signs of scams and how to report elder fraud, will begin at Hannaford Supermarkets’ 60 in-store pharmacies across Maine. Informational brochures will be attached to prescription bags for distribution to Hannaford pharmacy customers.
“We recognize older individuals, as well as their caretakers, make up a large portion of our customer base, and that we are uniquely positioned to help reach this audience directly through our pharmacy services as a trusted source for health and safety information,” said Sara Lane, Manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services, Hannaford Supermarkets. “We are always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact in the communities we serve and by making this information available to our pharmacy customers in all corners of our state, our goal is to help reduce the number of elder fraud incidents in Maine.”
Elder fraud is a growing problem across the nation. Last year, more than 101,000 Americans aged 60-plus were defrauded out of $3.4 billion through an ever-growing variety of scams. According to the FBI, that number included 397 Mainers who filed fraud complaints last year for losses totaling more than $7.1 million, and many others go unreported. While some scams can have negligible losses, recent sophisticated scams have robbed victims of their life savings.
“There are so many different types of scams in circulation, it can be difficult to recognize them all. Add in technology, and it becomes even more difficult,” said Jane Margesson, Communications Director for AARP Maine. “Increasingly, the scams are more sophisticated and with multiple layers, even multiple scammers playing different roles. As the schemes have become more complex, the potential losses have increased as well. Those losses can be especially devastating for victims nearing or in retirement. Some of the stories we hear are absolutely heartbreaking.”
“The actual losses are likely considerably higher than reported,” said Andrew McCormack, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Elder Justice Coordinator for the District of Maine. “For a variety of reasons, older individuals are often hesitant to report when they’ve been scammed. While it is normal to feel embarrassed when you’ve been tricked, it is important to remember that the criminals who take advantage of people are absolute pros at what they do. Older Americans are not the only victims – people of all ages and backgrounds fall prey to scams every day – but after a lifetime of saving and perhaps not being online as often and therefore as current on recent scams, they are a common, and frankly favorite, target for some of the most insidious types of fraud.”
The informational materials were created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. The materials will include common signs of scams as well as information about the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
“We are grateful to all the organizations that have worked together to make this program possible. Our collective aim is to reduce the number of people in Maine who are victimized by these cruel schemes,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Sadly, there are always going to be criminals who try to take advantage and steal your hard-earned money. Recognizing red flags can help prevent you, or someone you love, from becoming a victim.”
For information about the Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program, email [email protected] or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 207-780-3257.
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